Cumbria has pledged to resettle 137 Afghan refugees by the end of the year following the Taliban’s takeover of the war torn mountain nation.
Allerdale, Eden, Barrow, South Lakeland and Copeland will host 16 individuals and Carlisle which has pledged to resettle 57 people.
The county council is still waiting for details from Government about the new resettlement programme but the Home Office has promised £20,520 to integrate each refugee – amounting to almost £3million for Cumbria.
Four families have already been relocated to Cumbria, having worked as translators for the Aghan Ministry of Defence.
Deborah Earl, Cumbria County Council cabinet member for public health and community services, said: “I’m very pleased Cumbria has stepped forward to welcome Afghan refugees.
“Cumbria has a long-standing history of welcoming people that are experiencing challenging circumstances and need to resettle for their own safety.
“If anyone wants to help, they can donate to the Cumbria Community Foundation Welcome Fund which has been set up specifically to help Afghan refugees.
“Our county council officers work very hard with other agencies to make sure the transition is as smooth as it possibly can be and I’m proud that Cumbria is a welcoming county.”
Since 2017, 244 refugees from countries like Syria, Iraq and Somalia have been resettled in Cumbria under the Vulnerable Children’s and Vulnerable Person Resettlement Scheme.
